Abstract: Animal and plant interaction has been a hot topic in recent years, and studies on the role of animals on seed dispersal are an important area of research. One of the main mechanisms by which frugivores promote seed germination is the scarification effect of their digestive tracts on the seed coat, which increases the seed’s permeability to water and gas. The effect of passing through the digestive tract of longeared hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus) on water uptake in the germination of the seeds of caper (Capparis spinosa) was examined in this study. Caper seeds that had been passed by the long-eared hedgehog and separated from its feces served as the experimental group, and caper seeds separated from fresh fruit served as the control group. The results showed that passage of the seeds through the longeared hedgehog digestive tract increased the quantity of their water uptake (0-12 h), the speed of water uptake (0-12 h), and both the total water uptake percentages (0-2 h, 10 h) and the water uptake percentage over time (0-2 h). The long-eared hedgehog digestive tract had no significant effect on the caper seed germination rate. However, the germination rate of caper seeds that had passed through the long-eared hedgehog digestive tract and then soaked in GA₃ was significantly higher than those of experimental group seeds that were soaked in GA₃, and their germination period was lengthened as well. The TTC test showed that there were no significant differences in caper seed viability between any of the tested groups. These results demonstrated that the effect of passage through the long-eared hedgehog digestive tract is to increase the water uptake capability and to break down the mechanical barriers of caper seeds, indirectly improving seed germination while having no effect on seed viability. Thus, the long-eared hedgehog is an animal with significant potential in caper seed dispersal.

Key words: slope position, Larix principis-rupprechtii, meteorological factor, soil water potential, transpiration, soil water content